


Against All Odds

by MisterOctober



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Harry Potter is a Little Shit, Hogwarts Third Year, M/M, Mentor Remus Lupin, Mentor Severus Snape, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Parent-Child Relationship, Patronus Charm (Harry Potter), Protective Minerva McGonagall, Rare Pairings, Severitus | Severus Snape is Harry Potter's Parent, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29004573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisterOctober/pseuds/MisterOctober
Summary: When Remus Lupin arrives at Hogwarts in the autumn of 1993, Severus is determined to hate him. Unfortunately for him, keeping an eye on the werewolf might help to stop that blasted Potter boy from getting into trouble, so when in time Severus finds himself softening (in feelings only) towards his old schoolmate he convinces himself it's all for the sake of his job.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Severus Snape, Remus Lupin & Harry Potter, Remus Lupin/Severus Snape
Comments: 15
Kudos: 27





	Against All Odds

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everybody! I'm back from my ridiculously long unplanned hiatus, and I have presents. No it's not the next chapter of MMTT (which I promise I'm working on), I'm starting an entirely new fanfiction. You know- because I'm a totally rational person. 
> 
> Seriously speaking though- this is more of a taster chapter, I haven't begun writing ahead for this yet. I think I'll wait and see how well it's received, so comments would be useful as heck!
> 
> As a side note, if any of you are concerned: I do not condone any of what J.K Rowling has said about the trans community, but I've already been suspended from Twitter over my outrage, so I've decided that she's not worth the effort. I still love the world that she created, and I hope it can continue growing past the author's limitations.

Severus Snape was a man ruled by logic, or so he would like to convince himself. At the moment however, all pretence was out the window.

“You want to do _what_?”

He growled threateningly. His eyes were narrowed so much so, that they were in danger of disappearing from his face entirely.

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore merely smiled benignly.

“I would like to hire Remus Lupin as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Severus. Are you experiencing hearing difficulties, my boy? Shall I fire-call Poppy?”

Snape snarled irately.

“You would hire that mange-ridden beast, instead of me? I’ve applied for the position eight times, Albus! Why do you insist on flaunting your Gryffindor bias in front of me?”

“I’m doing no such thing, my boy. I simply see no reason for you to change teaching positions, when I believe your most marketable skill is your ability with potions. I don’t want to put you somewhere your talents will be wasted,” Dumbledore replied calmly.

He picked up a lemon drop from the jar on his desk, and held it up to his face, inspecting it carefully, before cheerfully popping it into his mouth.

Incensed by his employer’s flippant attitude Snape threw the headmaster a baleful glare, and strode towards the older wizard’s desk, slamming the palms of his hands into the fine polished wood.

Albus gazed up at him, staring piercingly past Snape’s curtain of greasy hair, “Weren’t you the one who said that anyone would be preferable to the - and I quote here “dunderheaded moron” that was our last Defence professor?”

“When I said that, I didn’t mean for you to- Oh, Never mind!”

Severus abruptly drew away from the elderly wizard, “Do as you please, Albus. Hire the Wolf, then. Mark my words though; just because I’m conceding, doesn’t mean that I trust him nor that I have confidence in your decision.”

Snape paused to draw in breath and then continued with venomously, “If anything, you’re compromising the safety of the entire school by letting that- that _thing_ join the staff! You’ve become senile in your old age, you codger.”

Slightly appeased with having had the last word, Snape pivoted on his heel and stormed away from the office, his signature black robes flaring behind him theatrically.

Dumbledore watched him go with twinkling blue eyes, before shaking his head wearily. He turned to his phoenix, “Rather dramatic isn’t he?”

Fawkes chirped from his perch in agreement.

Snape remained pacing in his quarters long after his discussion with Dumbledore.

Remus Lupin would be coming to Hogwarts. To make matters worse, Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban only a few days ago.

Worst of all, the calm and relative solitude provided by Hogwarts over the summer was to be disrupted by rambunctious students in a mere week, and _Harry Potter_ would be among them.

In combination, it was a wonder that he didn’t go mad.

Snape grimaced bitterly. It was just like old times; his thoughts were plagued by Potter - or rather in this case Potter Junior, Lupin and Black. The only one missing from the happy little reunion was the cowering sycophant, Pettigrew.

In all fairness, when he had been a student Pettigrew had been the least of his worries, and he shuddered when he thought of the fate that had befallen the fourth Marauder.

Perhaps if Dumbledore had listened to Snape, during his fifth year, when Black had sent him down to the Shrieking Shack on that fateful night, fewer lives would have been lost.

Snape deftly poured himself a glass of firewhiskey, and sank heavily onto the Persian rug in front of the fireplace, resting his back against the leg of his arm chair, and revelling in the flames that pervaded the gloomy chill of the dungeons, ruminating as he stared unseeingly into the embers of the hearth.

He could not within good conscience allow Lupin - a werewolf and a known associate of Sirius Black - into the vicinity of Harry Potter. Not after the oath he’d sworn to protect the blasted boy.

His hand shook around his tumbler, and he could feel a cold sweat building at the nape of his neck. He waited for his shuddering breaths to calm, and raked a long-fingered hand through his greasy locks.

It was an unspoken truth that his stigma against Lupin didn’t just stem from his suspicions towards the werewolf’s involvement in recent events, but rather from his adolescent feud with Lupin and his gang of “Marauders”, which had bled through to the younger Potter as well.

More than that, it stemmed from their rogue encounter in fifth year. The one that had left Severus with too many sleepless nights to count, and a vile, consuming loathing for his usually benevolent classmate. Refusing to dwell on it, he put his feelings down to other misgivings.

The group of friends had been too close knit for Lupin to not retain ties to his previous companion, despite the circumstances surrounding the Potters deaths at Godric's Hollow twelve years ago.

He resolved sourly to keep a close eye on Lupin for the rest of the year. The beast was not to be trusted.

It was the first day of September and Severus Snape was ready to pull out every last strand of his grease-drenched hair. Potter had run away from his muggle relatives’ house at some point during the summer, and the minister had nearly chewed through his fedora. It was pure luck that he’d been recovered and hadn’t run away somewhere ridiculous to join the circus like the idiotic little brat that he was.

Moreover, against his deepest hopes, Dumbledore had proceeded to hire Remus Lupin as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

His only solace was that he had yet to actually reunite with his old classmate, and that the students had yet to arrive, put that didn’t stop a gnawing pit of dread from growing in his stomach.

He only just managed to stop himself from visibly startling when the fireplace in his quarters roared to life, as Minerva McGonagall’s head appeared in the glowing embers.

The ageing professor’s face was lined, and the way her brow was furrowed in consternation made Severus snap to attention.

“Ah Severus.”, the bespectacled witch looked up at him, “It seems there has been an issue with the Express. Against the headmaster's wishes, the minister gave the go-ahead for dementors to search the train, in some futile hope of catching Sirius Black.”

Severus took a deep breath. Dealing with this on top of everything else was not the best way to lighten his mood.

“One of them paid an unexpected visit to our young Mr Potter, and Potter seems to have had a particularly bad reaction to its presence. Luckily Remus was in the same compartment, as him and had the presence of mind to cast a patronus or who knows what could have happened.”

“Why is it that when something happens, it always involves _that_ boy?” grumbled Snape.

“I’ve been asking myself the same question since the child was in first year.”, Minerva sighed emphatically, “Anyway, Albus has taken up the issue with the minister, and I need to greet the first years, so you’ll have to debrief Remus.”, announced the transfiguration professor primly.

Snape stared at her dismayed. “Minerva, my Slytherins-“

“Can manage without you for half an hour.”

Snape scowled, “Surely there is someone else who can-“

“There is no-one. It may surprise you Severus, but we’re all incredibly busy at the moment,” the Transfiguration professor intoned sternly.

Snape’s scowl deepened both at being interrupted a second time and at the bad news.

“Besides, Severus, isn’t it time you got over your childhood grudge? If you won’t do it for practicality, then at least do it for Lily. You know she was friends with Mr Lupin during her time here.”

McGonagall’s face softened for a moment, in remembrance.

Severus on the other hand, flinched at the mention of Lily’s name, and cussed Minerva out internally for her insight into his youth, and meddlesome nature, then sighed explosively, “ _Fine_.”

Snape flinched, and automatically reached for his wand when his ears began to ring as he felt someone breach the wards around his quarters.

“Ah! That must be Remus now! Have fun!”, said McGonagall cheerily.

Her face disappeared from the flames before the balled up parchment Snape flung into the fireplace could hit her.

There was a soft knock on the door, and a voice tentatively said his name.

Snape, strode towards the door to his quarter and yanked it open ferociously.

Remus Lupin hadn’t changed since he was a boy. Although stress lines streaked his face, and there were specks of grey on his temples, the kindly glint of his eyes remained the same, as did his quiet and good natured countenance.

Snape scowled at the Werewolf’s benign veneer, which only served to make him angrier. Still he managed to curtail his sneer – at least to a point where he wouldn’t burn holes in the man’s head – and gritted out a “Lupin.”

Lupin had the audacity to spend a brief moment looking taken aback at hostility he’d been greeted with, before his expression shuttered down and he resumed his mild-mannered façade.

“Minerva directed me to you for a debrief and introduction.”

Snape’s frown grew impossibly more austere.

“You hardly need an introduction Lupin. You’ve lived here for seven years.”

Lupin smiled, “Of course, but never as a member of the faculty. Still you seem busy, and I would hate to trouble you. A pamphlet or some such thing would do just fine.”

“A pamphlet?” Severus deadpanned raising an unimpressed eyebrow, “It will no doubt surprise you that our esteemed headmaster has no such resource to offer.”

‘ _So I’m stuck with you_ ’ he added in his head.

The werewolf shifted from foot-to-foot and Snape realised abruptly that the two of them were still standing in the door-frame. One of his hands was braced against the door protectively, and he had positioned himself to block his quarters from view.

“May I come in?” Offered Lupin tentatively.

Severus was loathe to expose what was tantamount to his home to his schoolboy rival, and answered obsequiously.

“No.”

Lupin seemed disappointed by his bluntness, but not surprised to be treated so callously.

Severus sighed, and frowned, trying to think of a way he could rid of his unwanted new burden.

He stepped outside of his rooms, straightening his robe, then strode briskly down the corridor, until he reached his office.

“In here,” he muttered shortly to Lupin.

The werewolf followed warily.

Snape took a seat at the imposing wing-backed chair behind his desk, and straightened his posture, sitting stiffly down, and crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

Lupin was left to stand awkwardly in front of the desk like a misbehaving student.

His stature meant he stooped slightly, and Severus smirked internally at how ridiculous he looked. His derision didn’t do anything to change the fact that his skin crawled at being left alone in a room with Lupin. He felt the ghost of pain flare in his left shoulder, and had to stop himself from reaching over to rub it absent-mindedly.

“Now then,” Severus began, “Dumbledore has I’m sure filled you in on the usual roles relegated to the staff, including patrols, mealtimes, and meetings with parents.”

He looked sharply over to Lupin to see him nodding slightly.

“Has he shown you your rooms?”

“Yes, Severus,” Lupin nodded.

Snape flinched imperceptibly at the use of his given name, but decided not to say anything in fear of prolonging the time he had to spend around the wolf.

He hoped that Lupin would fall out of the habit of calling him that as the year went by. It wasn’t like they would be spending much time together outside of meetings, and mealtimes.

“Has he informed you of the arrangements he has made to tackle your…condition?”

Severus lip curled back into a snarl involuntarily.

For the first time, Lupin looked genuinely uneasy, as he shook his head.

“I am to brew you the Wolfsbane potion,” Severus said, “At no additional cost to yourself.”

Lupin looked surprised and opened his mouth as if to interject, but Severus had had enough, and steamrolled ahead.

“You are to take the Wolfsbane potion, every day for the week before the full moon, up to and including the night of it. Afterwards you are to go into your office, lock the door, set up some wards and spend the night there. Do you understand?”

Lupin nodded quickly, and then looked faintly ill.

“I will be delivering the potion to you. This first full moon of course being the exception.”

He looked down at Severus, and made an expression that was probably supposed to be one of gratitude.

He just looked pained.

“I’m sure you’ve also realised based on your encounter on the express, that Dumbledore and the Minister have taken certain precautionary measures against Sirius Black.”

Reaching the end of his rope, as he felt Lupin’s gaze intently upon him, Severus stood and stalked towards the door, closing his hand around the handle, and turning so that Lupin couldn’t see his face.

“Severus, I hope you know I-”

Before Lupin could continue, Severus yanked the door open with enough force that it almost ricocheted off the wall, and spun around to face the other man.

“If you think for even _one_ second, that I trust you a whit, then you are a fool Remus Lupin. I _will_ be keeping an eye on you. If you try anything- and I mean _anything_. I will make you wish that the dementors had you instead,” Severus spat furiously.

He glared at Lupin, who wilted slightly beneath his gaze, and stepped out into the hallway..

“Severus, I have no intention of letting Sirius come anywhere near Harry ever again,” Lupin started solemnly.

He could only blink when the door was slammed in his face.

Remus Lupin had a headache. It was, he thought, quite possible the biggest headache known to man, and it was mostly the fault of Severus Snape.

When Dumbledore had approached him with the offer of a job, his first thought was an intense panic at the thought of seeing his old classmate again.

His second thought was that Dumbledore had very suspicious timing, recruiting him just after the news that Sirius Black had broken out of Azkaban prison.

As always, his chest twinged when he thought of his childhood friend, and former confidante. 

Dumbledore had always been manipulative but using Remus as a buffer between Sirius and Harry, was level of ruthlessness that Remus had not been prepared to see from his former professor.

Maybe the headmaster also hoped that Remus would be the one to break the news to Harry about the role that Sirius had played in his parent’s lives, and consequent deaths.

Still in the interests of protecting the child he was sure would have been his honorary nephew in another life, and in the interests of his Gringotts account Remus accepted – with some reservations of course. 

Unfortunately for poor Remus, his first day had been more wretched than even he could have imagined. There were several thing he had not considered, when he’d signed his soul away for the academic year.

Firstly, September 1st 1993 was the night of a full moon, as well as the night of the Welcome Feast. The entire week beforehand was spent in a flurry of packing, nausea, pain, and exhaustion, until he had eventually collapsed in a secluded seat on the train having barely made it to King’s Cross in time.

Secondly, Remus’ fatigue meant that it had taken even more of his strength than usual to repel the dementor on the train, and he was now in the verge of passing out. He thought he should probably feel more alarmed about it, but he couldn’t summon the energy to.

Thirdly, he’d been underestimating the pain that lanced through him, the first time he’d lain eyes on Harry Potter. The striking combination of Lily’s eyes, and James adolescent face was haunting, and made a large part of Remus want to curl into a little ball and sob at the keen pain he still felt for his late friends.

Finally, and most terrifyingly Severus Snape had not changed at all. His eyes were as piercing as ever, his hair as lanky, and his wit as sharp. More pressingly, he seemed determined to hate Lupin with every fibre of his being and Remus had no idea what to do about it.

He’d been expecting it on some level, but Remus was a people pleaser at heart. He hoped that by apologising or having a talk with Severus, they might be able to put aside their long-held dislike for one another. That seemed less likely than ever, if their most recent conversation was an indicator.

Now he would have to simply deal with Severus’ frosty attitude for the foreseeable future.

‘ _This is going to be a long, long year,_ ’ he thought as he shuffled his way to the infirmary in search of Madam Pomfrey.


End file.
